Meet Nabila Aguele: A Champion for Gender Equality and Sustainable Development

Nabila Aguele is a distinguished leader in the fields of law, public policy, and gender advocacy. As the Chief Executive of the Nigeria office at the Malala Fund, she oversees the organization’s country strategy and operations, while also managing its external affairs portfolio. With over 20 years of experience, Nabila has established herself as an expert in sustainable development, employing data-driven and narrative-based advocacy to challenge societal norms and advance gender equality.

Nabila's influence extends beyond her role at the Malala Fund. She serves on the boards of several prominent organizations, including Women for Women International, INSEAD, and Girl Rising. At Girl Rising, she holds the positions of Vice-Chair of the Board and Chair of the Nominating & Governance Committee, where she plays a crucial role in shaping the organization's strategic direction.

Before joining the Malala Fund, Nabila served as a Special Adviser to Nigeria’s Minister of Finance, where she championed gender-responsive fiscal policies and budgets. Her efforts were instrumental in crafting Nigeria’s Integrated National Financing Framework, a key tool in the country’s sustainable development agenda. She also co-led the Strategic Revenue Growth Initiatives and provided technical support to the Minister of State for Budget & National Planning.

Nabila's career began in the legal sector, where she represented Fortune 500 companies in complex civil patent litigations at prestigious law firms such as Morrison Foerster LLP. She also served as a Special Assistant Attorney General with the District of Columbia Office of the Attorney General. Her passion for impact-driven lawyering led her to the American University Washington College of Law (AUWCL), where she served on the full-time faculty, co-led the Glushko-Samuelson Intellectual Property Law Clinic, and designed the school’s first Patent Litigation course.

Nabila holds a B.Sc. in Human Biology from the University of Toronto, a Juris Doctor (JD) from AUWCL, and an MBA from INSEAD, where she was class valedictorian. Her academic and professional journey reflects her deep commitment to sustainable development, particularly at the intersection of human capital development and public financial management.

In her current role as a Special Adviser to Nigeria’s Minister of Finance, Budget, and National Planning, Nabila continues to champion gender equality, focusing on making public financial management systems more gender-responsive. She also supports international development cooperation and performance monitoring, ensuring that policy formulation and implementation are data-driven and impactful.

Nabila’s dedication to gender equality and sustainable development is also evident in her work with international organizations. In 2020, she joined an international panel of distinguished judges for the Girl Rising #MyStory Challenge, an initiative co-sponsored by HP to raise awareness on gender, racial, and economic inequalities through storytelling.

A firm believer in the power of the arts to drive change, Nabila sits on the Advisory Board for Talentx Africa, a media and entertainment investment platform aimed at empowering African filmmakers and investors. An accomplished acrylic artist, Nabila has exhibited and sold her work in the United States, further showcasing her multifaceted talents and commitment to driving social change.

Through her work, Nabila Aguele exemplifies the power of combining expertise in law, policy, and advocacy to create a more equitable and sustainable world.